1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a test strip automatic supply device and an analytical instrument using the same and, more particularly, to a device and an instrument which are suitable for analysis of organic samples, such as urine or blood samples, by using test strips which contain reagents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Test strips are often used in clinical examinations in order to quickly perform different analyses on urine or blood samples. A test strip is composed of a narrow, long and flat strip made of, e.g., plastic, and a plurality of reagent sections which contain different reagents and are stuck to the strip.
A test strip automatic analytical instrument which automatically handles such test strips is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-91571. In this known device, an arm having a test strip grip device is moved from a test strip automatic supply mechanism, via a sample table having sample containers into which test strips are dipped, to a photometer mechanism which optically analyzes the test strips having various developed colors. The test strip automatic supply mechanism supplies one test strip at a time to a position where the arm starts handling a test strip. The test strip automatic supply mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-91571 has a hopper provided with a slidable bottom portion which moves to carry a test strip placed in the hopper to the outside.
Since the above test strip automatic supply mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-91571 employs the above-described method, in which elongate test strips are supplied by slidingly moving the bottom portion of the hopper, test strips are likely to be stuck between the bottom portion and the wall of the hopper when the bottom portion moves to carry a test strip out of the hopper. Thus, this known device has a problem in that the smooth operation thereof may be interrupted.